9+17+09++homeless+hate+acts



Attacks on Homeless Bring Push on Hate Crime Laws

Summary: Since the economy has been going downhill, people have been forced to live on the streets in the last few years. Some states have considered legislation to treat hate crimes such as assaults on these homeless people. In October, Maryland will become the first state to expand its hate crime law to add stiffer penalties for attacks on the homeless. There has been a rise in this type of violence in the past decade with about 880 attacks on homeless people, including 244 fatalities. Sometimes the homeless attack each other; but most attacks are by non homeless people or people that like to attack the homeless just for fun, like a sport. There recently has been an attack on 3 homeless people, 2 died and one survived.

Reaction: I think that people should definitely be punished because thats an absurd idea to want to harm the homeless people. They can't help that they don't have a job or home. This could happen to anyone, and it's not like the homeless already have or are trying to hurt anybody.



Published 8/7/09 by Eric Lichtblau []

Published 8/7/09 by Eric Lichtblau []